Translation And DTP Services For Marketing Collateral

Businesses need quality translation services for their marketing collateral to succeed in foreign markets. However, there are cases in which document translation services alone are not enough, and desktop publishing (DTP) services will be required in addition to translation. Today we will look into some basics of marketing document translation and DTP, and explain why quality is key.

Marketing Collateral Translation

There are many types of marketing documents for which translation services are required, including (among others):

– Brochures

– Flyers

– Press releases

– Presentations

– Mailings

– Social media posts

– Adds (print, online, outdoor, etc.)

It is important to understand that PR, advertising and marketing translation is a specialised field and not every translator can do it well. A good marketing translator does not only translate the actual content of a text, but must also convey the corporate identity, use the right tone and be able to see the translation from the perspective of the target audience. This requires creativity, deep customer insights, a high degree of eloquence and a talent of attracting and convincing audiences through captivating language.

Translation Or Transcreation?

Due to the nature of marketing texts and the way they work, businesses often consider transcreation as an alternative to document translation (learn about the differences here). If you are not sure which option is better for your texts, a professional localization service provider will be able to advise you.

DTP For Marketing Document Translations

Creative design and desktop publishing can awaken dull, plain text to live. Skilfully crafted and aesthetically positioned illustrations, carefully chosen colours, text fonts, etc. arranged in an appealing layout will let your marketing collateral shine. In many cases, professional DTP does not only enhance a translation, but is even indispensable (see here for details).

High-Visibility: A Double-Edged Sword

High visibility plays a key role in most marketing strategies. Companies naturally aim to reach large numbers of potential clients with their marketing collateral. This visibility creates opportunity, but also risk. If the content in marketing collateral is wrongly translated or misleading, the damage can be significant. When the content appears in foreign languages, many businesses may not even realize that the translations are incorrect.

A low-quality translation can ruin an expensive marketing campaign. Thousands or even millions of people might see a poor translation. In that case, high visibility turns into a liability for the business. The same applies to poorly executed DTP. For example, incorrect line breaks or font issues in foreign languages can make marketing collateral look unprofessional. These problems often happen when businesses separate translation and DTP services. It is important to order document translation and DTP from a one-stop service agency to avoid such issues.

In some cases, marketing collateral and campaigns must be adapted to local cultural norms. DTP localisation helps achieve this. Certain images may cause undesirable associations in other countries. DTP artists should replace them with culturally appropriate alternatives. Running a check for sensitive content is highly recommended. This ensures that your marketing collateral supports success rather than undermining it.

A Reliable One-Stop-Service Agency – Quality Assurance For Your International Marketing Collateral

As illustrated above, though high visibility of marketing collateral is desirable and essential, it will also expose any linguistic or DTP-related problems to large audiences and can instantly damage the reputation of your business in international markets. That is why you should only choose high-quality document translation service providers with desktop publishing under the same roof to prepare marketing collateral for international audiences.

elionetwork is a Singapore-based one-stop-service company for all your translation and DTP needs. Many of our linguists specialise in marketing & PR, and do not only offer translation, but also transcreation services. We handle document translation, proofreading, editing and DTP all under one roof so that you will receive turnkey documents that will help your global marketing and PR activities succeed. Contact us now for a free quote or to find out more!